Mailchimp suspends digital currency-related accounts unannounced

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Email marketing service Mailchimp is on an account suspension rampage. This time, accounts belonging to digital currency content creators appear to be on the receiving end of the campaign. 

The global scene has received digital currencies well, as the gospel spread through social media and other platforms. Mainstream adoption remains prevalent, and influencers have sprung up within the space. However, just as favorable responses abound, antagonisms have surfaced as well. Mailchimp’s crusade is a part of the latter.

So far, notable entities within the space whose accounts have been reportedly suspended include market intelligence provider, Messari; and Edge—a wallet for digital assets. Reports of account suspensions surfaced in the late hours of August 9 as content creators expressed their grievances. 

The earliest report in this current wave of terminations came from the official Edge Wallet Twitter account. Edge Wallet disclosed the development on August 10, noting that the suspension came the previous day. The wallet provider particularly mentioned that their account received the ban because they are “a crypto company.”

Shortly after, Messari co-founder and CEO Ryan Selkis revealed that the wave of suspensions had hit his platform. Selkis, taking to Twitter on August 11, indicated that Mailchimp suspended the account of Messari. Selkis used the opportunity to further highlight the necessity of an internet space powered by Web3. “Web2 delenda est,” he said. 

Selkis, speaking in a different tweet, pointed out the need to do away with services that fit the “speech censors” description, including Mailchimp. This comes as a dilation on his call for the dissolution of the centralized Web2 internet.

Mailchimp is not especially fond of digital assets

In reply to Selkis’ follow-up tweet on the matter, Ethereum developer Sam Richards revealed that the Ethereum Foundation is one of the affected. According to Richards, Mailchimp also suspended the Ethereum Foundation Support Program account. Richards further asked the public’s opinion on a good replacement.

Mailchimp’s recent campaign began at the onset of August but missed the public’s view due to underreporting. In the late hours of August 1, NFT artist Ocarina disclosed that Mailchimp had suspended her account. “The content associated with your industry conflicts with our Acceptable Use Policy,” they said.

The email marketing service had in the past banned accounts related to the digital assets industry. DeFi platform, ShapeShift got the ban in 2017. In 2018, Mailchimp, addressing the complaints then, highlighted its stance on digital asset-related content. “Cryptocurrency-related information isn’t necessarily prohibited,” it said. However, the service noted that the sender should not be involved in “the production, sale, exchange, storage or marketing” of digital assets. 

Mailchimp has officially remained silent on the matter this time around. However, a section of the service’s Acceptable Use Policy sheds light on the reason behind the suspensions. The section mentions the prohibition of “cryptocurrencies, virtual currencies, and any digital assets related to an Initial Coin Offering.”

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